TECHNICAL REVIEW - DAVID WHITE

Review

Compared to current information design practice, which requires a skilled data modeller (of which there are very few), Agile Cloud begins by allowing the business analyst to focus purely on their business domain knowledge without the need to map the domain to a highly conceptual information model.

I have a bookshelf full of Systems Analysis and Design books which when addressing data have not had the insight which is contained in Agile Cloud. These perpetuate incorrect fundamental ideas of how data should be designed. This is shown clearly by designs which show objects such as employee, student, etc. as specialization of person. The Agile Cloud design avoids these fundamental pitfalls. An old adage of information design says, if the data design is correct, the code to create the business process is simple.

Agile Cloud takes this to its logical conclusion by requiring minimal and sometimes zero hand-coding. Not only does this save an enormous amount of time and money in coding and testing but it increases the quality of the code as it avoids human error. The Agile Cloud design tool allows for an Agile iterative design cycle without any degradation to the codebase.

I have done a technical review of the Agile Cloud information model and process and concluded that by focusing on the language of the business, it can lead to more rapid systems implementation and then more flexible evolution over time and a higher degree of data integrity. The Agile Cloud way of thinking when adopted will lead to significant savings in time money.

“I have a bookshelf full of Systems Analysis and Design books which when addressing data have not had the insight contained in the Agile Cloud design. Agile Cloud avoids the fundamental pitfalls of information design found in most other systems.

“There are a few information systems evolving in the marketplace similar to Agile Cloud, that lead to significant savings in time and money. Their benefit is at the point of development only. They essentially provide a solution at the transaction layer but move a significant problem to the reporting layer. Agile Cloud is the only system I have found that achieves these savings with no loss of data integrity and translates these savings throughout the total cost of the information life cycle.”

David WhiteDavid White is a senior information systems lecturer for the School of Business at the University of Auckland. His specialist area is around information modelling and the user interaction experience.